Medicine and philosophy - Classical Homeopathy Online

Aristotle on melancholy 143body is in such a condition (diakeitai) that it seems as if they have not hadany food at all: 19 ‘for black bile is cold by nature and therefore chills thenutritive region (threptikos topos) of the body as well as any other parts thatmay contain this residue’. 20This passage, too, features in the context of a consideration of bodily(anatomical, physiological) influences on the psycho-physical phenomenonin question, namely sleep. First of all, it should be noted that Aristotlespeaks not only of melancholics but also of ‘black bile’ (melaina cholē):underlying his use of the term hoi melancholikoi is a physiological conceptthat recognises black bile as a distinct fluid (i.e. apart from yellow bile orbile as such). The text implies that black bile is cold by nature and has achilling effect on its environment. Cold as a natural elementary quality ofblack bile corresponds to the Hippocratic characterisation of black bile asdry and cold (see Flashar (1966) 39), although the phrase ‘naturally’ seems toleave open the possibility of heating. 21 Finally, there is the significant notionthat black bile is a perittōma, a residue or remainder of food (this term willbe discussed in section 4 below) and the remark that it can be located bothnear the nutritive region, that is, the heart (cf. On Respiration (Resp.) 474 b3 and On Youth and Old Age (De iuv.) 469 a 5–7) and in other places in thebody; this is an important addition to its localisation around the ‘perceptiveregion’ as stated in the above passage from On Memory and Recollection. 22The melancholic is given a particularly significant role in Aristotle’s treatiseson dreams (De insomniis) and on divination in sleep (De divinationeper somnum). At first there seems to be considerable discrepancy betweenthe two writings: whilst melancholics are presented as an example of peoplewith clear and prophetic dreams in On Divination in Sleep (Div. somn. 463 b17ff.; 464 a 32ff.), in On Dreams (Insomn. 461 a 22), by contrast, the imagesthey see in their dreams are said to be cloudy and confused. Closer analysisof the relevant passages should reveal whether they are indeed inconsistent.To start with the passages in On Divination in Sleep, at the beginning ofchapter 2 (463 b 12ff.) Aristotle argues that dreams are not sent by the gods,but that their origin lies in human nature. For this reason dreams are notdivine, albeit beyond human control, for nature is beyond human control19 See Pr. 954 a 7–11 (I endorse Flashar’s reading instead of here).20 (457 a 31–3).21 This possibility is explicitly recognised in Part. an. 649 a 24ff., and the author of Pr. 30.1 clearly usesit (954 a 14ff., in particular line 21, which refers to Somn. vig. 457 a 31).22 It is possible to interpret this in the sense that the location of black bile in the region of the heartis a characteristic feature of the melancholics, whereas its occurrence in other places may happen toall people.